The tactic worked--up to a point. With embankments on either side, it was difficult for U.S. forces to spot the terrorists in the canals. But from the air, it was a different story. During one skirmish, a U.S. drone spotted a platoon-sized group of insurgents hiding in a canal. An air liaision officer (ALO) assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division called in an airstrike. Moments later, an F-16 dropped cluster munitions on the assembled terrorists, killing all of them.